by T. S. Ryder
"The Alphas had gathered, to discuss a war strategy against the vampire kingdom."
"No."
Her father put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Yuliana, you—"
"Where is he?"
Her father stared at her for a moment longer before his shoulders slumped. He shook his head and Yuliana's heart stopped. What had the king done with Leon? Had he…
"The Wolf and the rest of the Alphas were taken as prisoners. They are being held at the vampire palace, awaiting their trial and execution."
Yuliana blanched. What was the point of a trial if the execution was already set as the punishment? The anger that had bubbled in her was almost doused by fear, but it came back stronger than before. This was not going to happen! With another growl, she swung out of bed. Her feet were a little unstable–due to Zak's drugs, no doubt–but she wasn't going to let that stop her.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The palace," Yuliana said. "I'm not going to let him get away with this. Leon is my mate, he's not going to be killed for something he didn't do!"
***
If he was anybody but the king, Yuliana might have attacked him the moment she saw him. But he was the king, and when he smiled at her, his fangs flashing. She was reminded that he could have her ordered beheaded as easily as snapping his fingers. So she forced herself to curtsy and wait for permission to speak.
"Yuliana. What a pleasure to see you again. What brings you here?"
"My mate."
"Your—" The king laughed, clapping his hands lightly. "You mean the Wolf? Don't worry about him. You served your purpose when it came to the Shifters, and unfortunately, Leon decided not to accept the olive branch I extended to him. You can return to your home now."
Yuliana's hands clenched. "I don't think so."
The king sighed heavily. "Oh, I think I know what you want. I can smell pregnancy on you. Don't worry. I'll have my healers terminate it at once, so you don't have to deal with a mongrel child."
Yuliana fell back a step, wrapping her arms around her middle. Was that a threat? That if she didn't just fall back in line and not fight for Leon's life, he'd take her child from her? She couldn't bring herself to ask.
"No," she rasped. "I'm not letting anything happen to my baby."
"Your baby?" The king stepped forward, catching her face in his hand. "Don't tell me you've gone and fallen in love with a Wolf? Is it just because he gave you things you never thought you'd have? You're a pretty girl, Yuliana. You've got a delightful scent. It was why I chose you for that failed mission… but I won't let you be alone again. Let go of the Wolf, and you will have a place as one of my queens."
Yuliana struck his hand away before she knew what she was doing. The king's face darkened, but Yuliana threw back her shoulders and stared him in the eye. Even as she was wondering if she was actually brave enough to say what she wanted to say and do what she wanted to do, she found herself speaking.
"I would never marry you! You are a disgusting liar and I hate you!"
The king stepped back. A brief flash of anger crossed his face, but he shook his head and laughed soon enough. "You've found your voice, then? I'm surprised. A timid mouse like you, speaking out against the king himself… not well, mind you. 'I hate you'? I'd expect that from a toddler having a tantrum."
Blood rushed to Yuliana's face. But the implication of her actions also rushed to her mind, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She couldn’t just blow up like that… Apart from not helping Leon and the other Alphas at all, there was also the fact that it could also get her in big trouble.
"Leon never conspired against you. He called that meeting so that the other Alphas could know me as his mate, not to form any sort of attack."
King Harold leaned forward. "Ah, so it was the Wolf that called the meeting? Excellent… it will make proving his guilt even easier."
Yuliana stepped back from him, shaking her head. "He didn't plan to fight against you! You're just looking for an excuse to kill them all. Why?"
"Clearly they have done a number on—"
"I want to see my mate. Please, let me see Leon."
The king drew himself up. Any trace of friendliness disappeared from his face. "I have given you plenty of time to come to your senses. More than what most people would think you deserve. Fine. You want to be with your mate? You can be with him. You will be locked in the dungeons with the Wolf until the operation to terminate your pregnancy."
"I won't—"
"You will terminate the pregnancy or die as a traitor."
Yuliana froze again. The king seemed to like her silence because he smiled again before he called the guard. Her arms were wrapped firmly around her middle as she was lead down to the dungeons. What was she going to do? Everything she wanted, a man who loved her and now a child, were about to be taken away from her. And what could she do about it?
If I had agreed to marry him, would he have spared my little one?
Her stomach churned at the thought, but as she was taken down past the dank levels, that thought kept coming back. There was nothing she could do to save Leon… but maybe there was a way to save their baby…
Chapter Eight – Leon
Leon thought his heart might burst with relief at seeing Yuliana alive. But when she told him what had transpired, he could feel it breaking in two. He held her as she broke into tears. Harold's whole plot was terribly obvious to him now; offer him Yuliana as a mate, send a spy with a near-perfect cover after him. Of course, he'd call the Alphas together to discuss it all. And with the packs there, it was the perfect opportunity to accuse them of restarting hostilities.
All Harold had to do was threaten the innocent to make the Alphas surrender themselves. Even braggarts like Aspen.
He and Yuliana spent the night trying to think of ways to escape this situation. Yuliana kept shivering, making him think that there was something she wasn't telling him. But there was no pushing her on that, not when they had to face the very real threat of Harold forcibly ending her pregnancy. By the time morning came, though, he had a plan–a desperate plan, but what else was there to do?
Harold had gotten his position by proving to everybody that he was the strongest, smartest, and bravest vampire available for the job. If he was challenged, it would be more than a matter of pride that would make him accept. If he didn't fight when challenged, then his position would be weakened.
So the best bet Leon had to protect his unborn child was to challenge Harold to a duel. He'd have to do it publically. The more witnesses there were, the more likely Harold would be forced to accept the challenge. After that…
The door to the cell clanged open. Leon growled as a vampire stepped in. He tried to get to his feet, but the shackles binding his wrists to the floor stopped him.
"It's nice to see those filthy beasts where they belong, eh?" one of the guards chuckled. He pointed at Yuliana. "King Harold wants you. Come along now, quietly."
Leon yanked against his restraints, snarling so fiercely that despite the fact there was no way he could reach him, the two guards accompanying the first backed away. He felt a sense of grim satisfaction at the fear in their eyes, but their fear wasn't going to get him close to Harold. He still growled but forced himself to calm down.
"Wherever she goes, I go," Leon said. "Understand me, vampires?"
The one that seemed to be in charge narrowed his eyes but shrugged. "The king said to bring you, too. I don't know what it's all about, but who am I to argue against the king? But if you cause us any trouble, you won't be coming back to the dungeons. You'll end up sitting on a spike outside."
Leon resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the vampire's theatrics. The two others came in and pulled Yuliana away. They put a second set of shackles around Leon's wrists before undoing the first set. Clearly, they had no confidence in their own strength. It was laughable.
Soon they were brought before Harold. A woman in a long, white dress stood beside him in a stark white
room. Her face was blank, hands behind her back. A surgical table sat in the center of the room, and Leon's blood ran cold. This was why he was brought up here. They were meaning to…
"Fight me," Leon snarled.
Harold glared at him. "Excuse me?"
"Fight me! Unless you're too afraid of a Shifter."
Were there enough witnesses to actually provoke him into action? At first, Leon thought Harold was just going to laugh at him, but when he glanced at the other vampires, the Alpha knew he had him. The vampires stared at their king with expectant expressions. Harold shrugged.
"If that's what you want. What you think you'll accomplish from this, though…"
"I intend to protect my mate and unborn child, Vampire," Leon snarled back. "I am going to defeat you, and you will let her go unscathed."
Harold snorted. "We will go out to the courtyard, then, so everybody can see your defeat."
Yuliana reached towards Leon, but the other vampires grabbed her and held her back. Leon growled but kept himself calm. He needed to do this by the book. Defeat Harold squarely. Still, he had to struggle not to attack the guards as they hustled him and Yuliana out of the surgery. As they headed down to the courtyard, more and more vampires joined the procession. By the time they made it to their destination, it seemed like the whole palace had joined them. Word traveled fast.
"This Shifter thinks that he can defeat me," Harold proclaimed. "But we'll see about that. Let loose his shackles."
Harold made a big show out of taking off his shirt while Leon was unshackled. Yuliana was still guarded. She caught his eye and shook her head, but he ignored her silent protest. This was how it would be. He wasn't going to just give up, and if he had a chance to knock down this vampire a peg or two in the process of protecting her and their child, it would be worth it.
He slid down to a crouch when the shackles were let off him. Leon kept his eyes on the vampire king as the others backed away, leaving a wide space that was just him and Harold. It was reminiscent of his recent fight with Sam, with one major difference.
Harold would not hesitate to go in for the kill, and neither could Leon. He took a deep breath in, savoring the scent of Yuliana, and then shoved all his emotions away. In this arena, emotion would only end up killing him.
"What, not going to Shift?" Harold sneered. "I thought you cowards always—"
Leon sprang from his crouch. Harold barely had time to dodge him as he landed lightly right in front of the vampire. He slammed out both fists, one from each direction. Harold easily slipped through and jumped at him. He grabbed Leon around the neck and let his body hang limp. Leon yanked back against the deadweight, but even as he did so, Harold used his momentum to swing around behind him.
Thick, strong arms crushed Leon's throat. His position made it nearly impossible to reach Harold–nearly. He caught the vampire's legs and held them fast as he threw himself backward. As he landed hard he heard and felt a satisfying crunch. Harold gasped for breath, but Leon wasn't about to give him any advantage. He shifted his grip so he had Harold in a wrestling hold, then jumped to his feet and threw him across the courtyard.
The vampire hadn't even landed when guards darted in from the sides and grabbed Leon's arms. He shook them off briefly before they were on his again, punching and kicking at him until he was driven to his knees. He grunted in pain.
Harold got to his face, his pale features twisted with fury. His eyes narrowed and his fangs flashed. Leon growled, struggling against the vampires that held him down. Perhaps he had misjudged vampire culture. Perhaps proving himself strong wasn't actually something Harold cared to do.
"You cannot fight me fairly, yet I am the coward?" Leon snarled. "But then, why should I have expected honor from the likes of you?"
Harold pulled a silver blade from his belt. "I will cut out that tongue of yours before I put your head on a spike!"
He started forward, eyes blazing. Leon intensified his struggles. He was able to get one arm free before the vampires subdued him again. Harold stopped before him and grabbed a handful of his hair. Leon braced himself, not for the pain about to come, but for the opportunity it would present him. All he needed was one small opening—
"Stop!" Yuliana screamed. "Please! Stop! Don't kill him."
Harold didn't release Leon's hair but turned. "Why should I?"
"I'll do whatever you want me to do–I'll marry you if that's what you want from me! Just please don't—"
"Marry you?" Harold's eyes narrowed. "My dear girl, I offered you a place among my queens for one purpose. To show my subjects that I reward them for the sacrifices that they make. I asked a terrible thing of you, mating with this mongrel, laying with him, conceiving his child. But believe me when I say it would have been no pleasure on my part to play the duties of a husband with you."
Yuliana shook her head. Her eyes narrowed. "Is that why you were so angry when I rejected you? Because I insulted your pride?"
Harold roared, wheeling away from Leon. He charged towards Yuliana. She stepped back but rose her chin defiantly. Harold stopped just before her, glaring downwards. His chest heaved. Leon tore his arm free again, only to be caught seconds later. His heart pounded. His throat went dry.
"I would rather stick my own head on a spike than lay with a fat, ugly woman like you!"
Leon saw the fist rear back. A howl burst from his throat as Harold sunk it into Yuliana's stomach. Everything else was buried in a red haze. All he saw was Yuliana's face as it filled with pain, only saw her body collapsing to the ground. The vampire's grips on his arms were suddenly like tissue paper. He tore himself free of their hands and charged forward, his Wolf howling through his voice.
Harold never stood a chance. He struck out with the silver knife, but Leon easily batted it away. Then he grabbed the man by the head and lifted him bodily from the ground. The Alpha snapped his wrists left then right, and that was it. Harold went limp.
He tossed the body aside and dropped to his knees beside Yuliana. Her face was almost white, gasping for breath. Leon gathered her into his arms. He had never felt so helpless before.
"Hold on," he said. "Breathe. It's okay. It's okay."
Yuliana clutched his sleeve and stared up at him with wild eyes. "The… baby!"
Chapter Nine – Yuliana
She couldn't breathe, it hurt so much. Yuliana clutched at Leon's arm, sweat coating her face as she stared at him, wordlessly begging for him to save their child. But he couldn't. She knew it. He knew it. When he pulled her in close to his chest, she could feel the erratic beating of his heart. Their baby was going to… going to…
"No," she gasped out. "No!"
Rough hands grabbed her, and through the haze of pain pounding through her belly, she saw vampires grappling at Leon, trying to pull him away from her. She clung to him, shaking her head.
"Let him go," a voice said. It sounded familiar, but Yuliana didn't care. "The king acted cowardly. The fight was meant to be between the Alpha and him, and yet he attacks this woman? He uses his men to bring the Shifter down? Is that the sort of king we want?"
Her stomach felt like it was contracting, squeezing in towards her spine. Another wave of pain passed over her, making her vision turn black. She gritted her teeth and fought against her body, adrenaline pounding through her body. She couldn't lose the baby!
"We need to get her to the healers," the same voice said. It was closer and Leon growled. "Shifter, I know that you don't trust me. But vampire offspring are strong, the healers may yet be able to save your child."
Leon growled again and scooped Yuliana into his arms. She clung to his neck, pressing a hand to her belly as though that would protect the child within. She briefly saw a flash of Zak's face before Leon was off. A sickening flash of colors and halls whipped by and Yuliana closed her eyes until they were still again.
Zak's voice explained what happened, and Yuliana opened her eyes to see the woman from before, the one that was going to cut out her child. She shrunk back. "
Not her!"
"Marina is our best healer," Zak said. "She will save the child."
"Not her!" Yuliana shrieked. "She was going to kill him, she was going to—"
Marina shook her head. "I never would have. The king was trying to punish me for not giving him my young daughter. But the man is dead, and there is no reason for you to lose this pregnancy. Put her on the table, Shifter. I will need to sedate her before administering the drugs to prevent labor."
Yuliana shook her head again, but Leon laid her down. He clung to her hand and kissed her hard. "I love you. I love you, so much. No matter what happens, I love you and I will not leave your side. I promise."
The healer prepared a needle with some sort of yellowish needle. Yuliana tensed when the needlepoint pierced her skin but felt the effects at once. Everything around her blurred and sort of drifted away, making her body relax and eyes drift closed. It had to be a very strong type of drug, to be so effective against a vampire… The only thing that remained was Leon's voice in her ear, telling her that he loved her.
***
The pain was gone. Yuliana's stomach ached, but with that dull, background ache that comes from a mild bruise, not the terrifying waves of agony that she had fallen unconscious to. Her eyes fluttered open to once again find herself staring up at the ceiling of her room in her parent's home. It was easier to wake up this time, though.
And easier to remember what had happened.
She jolted upright, her hands going to her belly. Beside her, there was a grunt, and looking down, she saw her massive Alpha lying on the bed with her. He opened his eyes and jolted upright as well. His arms wound around her and he pulled her tightly against him.
"Yuliana! I'm so glad to see you awake."
"The baby!" Yuliana pushed at him, her eyes wild. "Is the baby okay? Did we lose it?"
"No. You're still pregnant."
Yuliana's shoulders sagged with relief. She clutched at Leon's body, shivers overtaking her. But the baby was okay. She was still pregnant. But what if— "Was there any damage? Did that monster hurt our baby in any way?"